Shimla ~ The Queen Of Hills

Shimla is the Capital Town of Himachal Pradesh. It was formerly the summer capital during the British Rule. The town of Shimla is built over several hills and connecting ridges. The important hills are Jakhu(8050 ft), Prospect Hill (7140 ft), Observatory Hill ( 7050 ft), Elysium Hill (7400 ft), and Summer Hill (6900 ft). There is a great controversy over the origin of the name Shimla. The name Shimla was derived from 'Shyamalaya' meaning blue house said to be the name of house built of blue slate by a faqir on Jakhu. According to one version Shimla takes it name from 'Shamla' meaning a blue female another name for Goddess Kali. The place was on the Jakhu Hillside, there was a temple of Goddess Kali. During the British period the image of the Goddess was shifted to a new place ,now famous Kali Bari Temple. Shimla remained unnoticed during the Gurkha War. It was only in 1819 A.D. that the then Assistant Political Agent of hill states Lt. Ross set up first British residence, a mere wood cottage. His successor Lt. Charles Patt Kennedy' errected the first pucca house in 1822 named after Lt. Kennedy as 'Kennedy House'.

The construction of Hindustan Tibet road was started in 1850-51 commencing from Kalka and first lap was upto Shimla. The Road upto Shimla came to be used for wheeled traffic by 1860. A 560 feet long tunnel was constructed beyond Sanjauli.

In 1864 Shimla was declared as the summer capital of India. After Independence, Shimla became the capital of Punjab and was later named the capital of Himachal Pradesh. In 1903 a rail line was constructed between Kalka and Shimla.

Shimla has been blessed with all the natural bounties, one can think of. Dwelling on a panoramic location, the hilly town is surrounded by green pastures and snow-capped peaks. The spectacular cool hills accompanied by the structures made during the colonial era create an aura, which is very different from other hill stations. Bulging at its seams with unprecedented expansion, Shimla retains its colonial heritage, with grand old buildings, among them are the stately Viceregal Lodge, Charming iron lamp posts and Anglo-Saxon names. The Mall, packed with shops and eateries, is the centre of attraction of the town, and Scandal Point, associated with the former Maharaja of Patiala's escapades, offers a view of distant snow clad peaks. In 1946 leaders of the Indian nationalist movement came to Shimla for a crucial conference that paved the way to Independence. Shimla’s legacy of British control has left in somewhat of Aesthetic anomaly: an Indian town, a state capital, no less that looks and feels like a village in Northern England.

The completion of the Kalka-Shimla narrow-gauge railway line, in 1903, gave a fillip to the towns development. After Independence, Shimla was initially the capital of Punjab. Following the creation of Himachal Pradesh, in 1966, it was designated the capital of the Himachal Pradesh.

Climate

Shimla features a subtropical highland climate under the Koppen climate classification. The climate in Shimla is predominantly chilly during winters, and moderately warm during summers. The temperatures range from 3.95 °C (39.11 °F) to 32.95 °C (91.31 °F) over the year.^[18] The average temperature during summer is between 14 °C and 20 °C, and between -7 °C and 10 °Cin winter. Monthly precipitation varies between 24 mm in November to 415 mm in July. It is typically around 45 mm per month during winter and spring and around 115 mm in June as themonsoon approaches. The average total annual precipitation is 1520 mm (62 inches). Snowfall in the region, which historically has taken place in the month of December, has lately (over the last fifteen years) been happening in January or early February every year.

Transport

The Kalka-Shimla railway line, constructed in 1906, added to Shimla's accessibility and popularity. The railway route from Kalka to Shimla, with more than 806 Bridges and 103 tunnels, was touted as an engineering feat and came to be known as the "British Jewel of the Orient". In 2008, it became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mountain railways of India. Not only that, there was a significant Muslim population in the region before the partition of British India. In addition, Shimla was the capital of the undivided state of Punjab in 1871, and remained so until the construction of the new city of Chandigarh (the present-day capital of Punjab). Upon the formation of the state of Himachal Pradesh in 1971, Shimla was named its capital.

Local transport in Shimla is by bus or private vehicles. Buses ply frequently on the circular road surrounding the city centre. Tourist taxis are also an option for out of town trips. Locals typically traverse the city on foot. Private vehicles are prohibited on the mall, ridge, and nearby markets. Due to narrow roads and steep slopes, the auto rickshaws common in other Indian cities are largely absent.

Shimla is well-connected by road and rail. The National Highway 22 (NH 22) connects Shimla to the nearest big city of Chandigarh. The scenic Kalka Shimla Railway, a narrow gauge track, is listed in the Guinness Book of Records for the steepest rise in altitude in a distance of 96 km.^[37]Kalka, the plains rail terminus, has daily departures to major Indian cities. Flights from the airport at Jubbarhatti (12 km away)^[38] connect Shimla to Delhi.

By Air: Shimla Airport is at Jubbarhatti, 23 kms from the city and is connected to Chandigarh, Kullu and Delhi. Commercial service at the Jubbarhatti Airport is limited with six flights a week operating to and from Delhi, all operated by Jagson Airlines. Chandigarh offers far better options. Major airlines including Indian, Jet Airways and Air Deccan operate flights to Delhi, Jammu, and Mumbai (with a Delhi stop-over).

By Train: Shimla is connected to Kalka (96 kms) on narrow-gauge and it takes around 6 Hrs from Kalka to reach Shimla. There are 3-4 trains daily from Kalka to Shimla and vice-versa. This railway track has recently been granted the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The view is stunning, with the line passing through an amazing 103 tunnels, the longest being 1.2 km long. The fastest way to get to Kalka is to catch the Shatabdi Express, which departs early morning from the New Delhi Railway Station, arriving at Kalka four hours later or a number of other options from Delhi.

By Road: Shimla is connected by road to all the major towns. A few distances between the Major Towns and Shimla and duration of journey are mentioned below-

Kalka- 80 kms (3 - 3 ½ hours by bus or car)

Chandigarh- 119 Kms (3 ½ - 4 hours by bus or car)

Ambala - 166 Kms (4 ½ - 5 hours by bus or car)

Delhi - 370 Kms (8 - 9 hours by bus or car)

Places of interest

The Mall: The Mall is the main shopping street of Shimla. It also has many restaurants, clubs, banks, bars, Post Offices and tourist offices. The Gaiety Theatre is also situated there. People walk up and down the Mall slowly, stopping to gossip, as it is the main meeting place for everyone. The Ridge and Scandal point are the two main meeting points at the Mall.

Christ Church: Situated on the Ridge, Christ Church is the second oldest church in Northern India. It has a very majestic appearance and inside there are stained glass windows which represent faith, hope, charity, fortitude, patience and humility. Christ Church is a place all visitors should spend some time in.

Jakhu Hill: 2 km from Shimla, at a height of 8000 ft, Jakhu Hill is the highest peak and offers a beautiful view of the town and of the snow-covered Himalayas. At the top of the Hill, is an old temple of Lord Hanuman, which is also the home of countless playful monkeys waiting to be fed by all visitors.

Shimla State Museum: The Museum, which was opened in 1974, has tried to protect hill-out and the cultural wealth of the state. There is a collection of miniature Pahari paintings, sculptures, bronzes wood-carvings and also costumes, textiles and jewellery of the region.

Indian Institute of Advanced Study: This institute is housed in the Viceregal Lodge, built in 1884-88.

Summer Hill: Situated at a distance of 5 km from the Ridge is the lovely township of Summer Hill at a height of 6,500 ft on the Shimla-Kalka railway line. Mahatma Gandhi lived in these quiet surroundings during his visits to Shimla. Himachal Pradesh University is situated here.

Annandale: Developed as the playground of Shimla, Annandale is 2–4 km from the Ridge at a height of 6,117 ft. It is a favourite spot for cricket, picnics and polo.

Tara Devi: 11 km from the Shimla bus-stand. Tara Devi hill has a temple dedicated to the goddess of stars on top of the hill. There is a military Dairy Town here as well as the headquarters of Bharat Scouts and Guides. Sankat Mochan: A Lord Hanuman temple is located here.

Junga: Junga is a Tehsi 26 km from Shimla ; its original name (with diacritics) is Jūnga and is a former royal retreat of the princely state of Junga (also known as Keonthal Estate).

Mashobra: 13 km from Shimla, site of the annual Sipi fair in June.

Kufri: 16 km from Shimla at a height of 8,600 ft, Kufri is the winter sports capital and also has a small zoo.

Chharabra: 13 km from Shimla on route to Kufri.

Naldehra: 22 km from Shimla, with a nine-hole Naldehra Golf Club. The annual Sipi fair in June is held in Naldehra.

Chail: Chail was the summer capital of the Maharaja of Patiala before Independence, known for its cricket pitch, the highest in the world.

Arki: (46 km) is the site of an 18th century fort built when Arki was the capital of the erstwhile hill state of Baghal

Tatapani: Location of sulphur springs which are found near the Tatapani mandir(holy temple)

Sanjauli: The main suburb of Shimla.